


if the world was ending (you'd come over right?)

by beautifulmadness13



Category: Legacies (TV 2018)
Genre: Dark Josie, F/F, I miss posie so much, lots of angst of course, my heart hurts
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-02-18
Updated: 2020-02-18
Packaged: 2021-02-27 19:08:37
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,922
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22780768
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/beautifulmadness13/pseuds/beautifulmadness13
Summary: “Josie?”It was a question but also a statement because even though Josie hadn't said a word Penelope knew that it was her.“Oh JoJo.”ORduring a moment of lucidity dark Josie makes a phone call
Relationships: Penelope Park & Josie Saltzman, Penelope Park/Josie Saltzman
Comments: 14
Kudos: 273





	if the world was ending (you'd come over right?)

**Author's Note:**

> what if instead of just a mention in episode 16 we get an actual phone call

Sitting on her bed with the lights off and Lizzie somewhere else with Hope, Josie was finally alone. Since they had gotten back from the prison world it was like everyone was constantly watching her, waiting to see if she would revert back into the “monster” Kai had claimed her to be. She tried to tell them that she was fine, normal, but they knew something was off, could tell something was wrong. So could she.

Moments like this had become rare for her lately, lucid moments. When the darkness would leave long enough for her to regain some control. You would think that her first instinct during this period of sanity would be to run and find her father or sister or literally anyone and explain to them what was happening to her, but it wasn't.

Instead when her thoughts had begun to resurface and the magic had dissipated, Josie was left with an overwhelming need to be held, to be comforted, to feel safe. That combined with her complete lack of impulse control as of late is why she had found herself with a phone in hand dialing a number she had memorized years ago but never thought she would call again.

It rang once.

Twice.

Three times and Josie was just about to throw the device across the room and pretend this lapse in judgment had never happened when the person on the other end finally answered.

“ _ Hello?” _

Just that word had caused her heart to pound so hard she was certain it would soon fly out of her chest and land on the blanket in front of her. Josie wanted to respond but her lungs felt like they would burst from the lack of air she was taking in and she wondered momentarily if it was possible to drown on land.

“ _ Hello is someone there?” _

It was too much, all of it was just too much and Josie could feel the room starting to close around her. Her black eyes began to water and if she had been looking in a mirror right then she would be able to see their natural chocolate brown color beginning to push through. She needed to say something, anything, but she couldn't, because hearing her ex's soft voice had caused her own to disappear.

Penelope let out a sigh.

“ _ Seriously I am not in the mood to play games right now so if you're trying to prank call me then I highly suggest you get a life and find someone else to mess with.” _

Josie raised a hand to cover her mouth attempting to muffle the sob that was threatening to rip through her throat. Her cheeks were damp already as she began to cry and she realized it was a losing battle when a stifled squeak slipped past the parting in her fingers. For a second she hoped that Penelope didn't hear it but the audible gasp on the other end of the line told her that she did.

“ _ Josie?” _

It was a question but also a statement because even though Josie hadn't said a word Penelope knew that it was her.

“ _ Oh JoJo.” _

The witch breathed out the nickname like it was a prayer she'd been repeating for months without reply and Josie could feel the weight of those two syllables in her voice. Tears were falling so quickly she could barely see but it was okay, she didn't need to anyway. Because in her mind Josie had already pictured the raven-haired girl as beautiful as the day she left, sitting across from her with pain filling her green eyes. Penelope always did hate to see her cry, it was one of her few weaknesses and something she would never admit to anyone else but Josie knew. She always knew.

“ _ It's okay, you don't have to talk. But something's wrong, isn't it?” _

And Josie wished that she could say it, wished that she could tell Penelope everything. About the sand clock and getting trapped in the prison world, about being betrayed by the man who murdered her mother and having to trade her soul in order to save her family. She wished she could tell Penelope about the emptiness coursing through her veins and threatening to swallow her alive, the numb lack of feeling for things she knows that she should care about. Because Penelope would understand, she would understand and she wouldn't judge her for any of it. She might be pissed about Josie sacrificing herself to protect Lizzie but she would get over it because Penelope loves her, she always has. And somewhere buried deep beneath the layers upon layers of darkness coating Josie's fractured psyche, she loves Penelope too.

“ _ Well it must be pretty bad if you're calling your obnoxious, selfish, evil ex for advice. Not that I mind.” _

Because she doesn't mind, not really. Penelope would never be able to get over Josie completely, she didn’t want to. And knowing that the brunette still has the desire to call her when she has a problem brought a small smile to Penelope's lips that Josie could hear in her tone.

They sat in silence for a moment just listening to each other breathe and relishing in the feeling of being connected again. It's almost enough to make someone who doesn't know their story wonder why they broke up to begin with. Sometimes Josie found herself wondering that as well.

When she could feel the darkness edging its way to the corners of her mind she knew that she didn't have much time before it regained control.

As if Penelope could sense her desperation she cleared her throat.

“ _ Do you remember the night of miss. mystic falls, when I told you that I knew you were good enough to win that ridiculous anti-feminist pageant?” _

The night Penelope left came flashing back to her in fragments and if she focused hard enough Josie thought she could still feel the warmth of Penelope's body when she pulled her in for a hug after wiping away her tears, could still smell the mint of toothpaste on her breath mixed in with the slight tang of alcohol that she had obviously tried to brush away. And if she focused even harder Josie could feel the subtle weight of Penelope's lips on her own, the soft familiarity that she had so easily fallen back into and the crushing sense of finality that had followed when they had pulled apart.

Of course Josie remembers, she remembers walking down the steps with her arm linked in Penelope's and listening as the witch told her just how much she thought she was worth. She remembers getting lost in Penelope's smile and feeling like at that moment she was capable of anything because the girl next to her had said as much. And though it had seemed like literally no one else in her life considered Josie to be more than just Lizzie's shadow it was fine because in that moment she had been seen.

“ _ I believed in you then Josie and I still do. I'll never stop believing in you. So whatever is happening right now I know you can beat it.” _

And she wanted to believe that because even though usually Josie hated it when Penelope was right about something, in this situation it would be really great if the smaller girl was. Clouds of doubt rolled through her mind and Josie still couldn't form the words that she wanted to say, in fact she actually wasn't sure anymore what she would say if she could speak. 

Her eyes flickered back and forth between black and brown as she squeezed her phone in her hand a little tighter. She could feel it, the cold lack of empathy, she was slipping away again.

“ _ I'm so sorry for hurting you, I'm sorry that the way I tried to help only caused you more pain because that's the last thing I ever wanted. But I know that you'll be okay because you are so strong Jo and you never needed someone to fight for you. You are more than capable of fighting for yourself and I'm sorry if I ever made you think that you couldn't.” _

Josie pushed back, forced the darkness to recede for a few more minutes because she wanted, no, she  _ needed  _ to hear what her ex was trying to say. And the more she listened the brighter an unmistakable flicker of hope began to burn within her.

“ _ You have to fight Josie and never stop fighting. Even when it gets stupidly hard, you can't give up. This world needs the selfish  _ **_and_ ** _ the selfless to keep spinning, remember?” _

But Josie wasn't so sure if she was the only selfless person in their relationship anymore, and maybe she never was.

Penelope had started crying too, Josie could hear it even though the witch was trying very hard to pretend otherwise. Penelope had no idea what Josie was up against but she was still absolutely terrified for the siphoner and the desire she felt to protect her, to help her, was as intense as it had always been. But the witch wasn't there anymore, she'd left for good and Josie would have to learn how to protect herself now.

“ _ You will get through this, I know you will. And I'll be right here the entire time if you need me.” _

It was quiet while they sat there, neither wanting to hang up first but both knowing that the conversation had to end eventually. 

Josie bit her bottom lip hard enough to almost draw blood, she didn't want to disconnect the line, she wanted to keep listening to the quiet sounds of Penelope’s breathing and the soothing tone her voice always took when she knew Josie was upset. She wasn't ready to let go yet because she knew once Penelope was gone then the darkness would come back and Josie would much rather stay right there in that moment being emotionally held by the girl her heart screamed out for.

“ _ I love you JoJo.” _

Penelope spoke with so much honesty and conviction behind her words that Josie knew they would always be true. And after another long pause the ravenette did what Josie wasn't able to bring herself to do and hung up.

  
  


_ I love you too. _

  
  


The call ended, silence surrounded her once again and Josie was alone. The comfort that Penelope's voice had offered her quickly washed away and was replaced by the magic that she had tried so hard to hold back. It felt like a million tiny hands pulling her deeper and deeper into the unknown and she was just so tired from the effort it had taken to stay in control long enough for that phone call that she didn't have it in her to fight back.

And as her mind began to drift away she wondered if what Penelope had said was true, if she really would be able to win this battle. Given her current circumstances she found it doubtful but if somehow she did manage to get out of this alive she would have to find a way to let the witch know how grateful she was. And when that day comes then maybe she will also be strong enough to tell Penelope that she loves her back.

It was a soothing thought and one that allowed her to slip calmly into the darkness. Her watery brown eyes closed momentarily and when they reopened only the black abyss remained.

**Author's Note:**

> comment/kudos :)
> 
> twitter: @pxnelopepark


End file.
